I'll Always Need You
by stopthisgirl
Summary: Ally is accepted into a music school in New York, and she won't let this opportunity slip away like she has with so many others. But Austin can't let her go just yet. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Based on the promo for Albums & Audtions. This will be a two shot because it's 5AM and I hate my life. **

**I do not own Austin & Ally.**

* * *

So tomorrow, Ally was leaving. Her flight was early in the morning so she could arrive in New York by the afternoon and move into her new room at her new school in a new state. But it was her dream, and she had supported his for the past year.

Tomorrow, Austin will be watching. He'll watch her load the car with her bags. He'll watch her check off—too many times—her list of things to bring. He'll watch her go through customs at the airport. He'll watch her leave.

So today was their last day. The four friends planned a going away party for Ally in the center of the mall and invited _everyone_. Employees from every store and random people they've maybe talked to once in school—everyone. Austin knew Ally didn't like the spotlight, but he couldn't imagine her leaving without knowing how important she was to him. Or to everyone, he means.

He stood on the stage he'd be performing on later that night. He watched Dez fiddle with the control for the screen that would come down. He watched Trish sit in a director's chair as she yelled at the band to set up their instruments. He couldn't move.

Dez carefully watched the screen go up and down, making sure all the controls worked perfectly. This video was the most important thing he'd ever made; more important than his first movie, _Claws Dun Dun Dun_, and more important than the documentary for his film class. He needed everything to be perfect.

Trish sat in the chair and yelled at the band as if they were actually doing something wrong. Normally she would help out at least a little bit. Her job as Austin's manager was the only one she'd kept throughout the past months, and it was the only one she'd actually enjoyed. But today, she didn't want to enjoy anything. She felt wrong.

And then there was Ally.

"Buddy, you should start your vocal warm ups. The show starts in an hour." Dez's words spilled from his mouth, laced with sadness. Austin nodded without looking at his friend; he just kept his gaze on the empty space which would be filled with a crowd later that night. It would be the last crowd Ally would be in for awhile, maybe forever.

Next, he found himself at the bottom of the stairs in Sonic Boom. He didn't feel like he had moved, but clearly he had. He felt as though he was underwater. There were people talking around him, but their conversations sounded muffled and they mixed together to create a low humming sound in his ears. He stared at the steps in front of him. What if this was the last time he would walk up the stairs to the practice room, knowing Ally would be there? What if next time, he walked into an empty room?

He finally moved his legs, but he took the stairs one by one.

And then there was Ally.

She sat on the desk chair they had set up next to the sound board. She held her wrinkled book in her small hands, and she was just simply reading it. She wasn't furiously scribbling down her emotions or doodling something in the margins, but instead she was flipping through the pages and remembering every single moment that had sparked the words she'd written.

"Hey," Austin whispered. He didn't want to disturb her, although there was so much he wanted to tell her. She looked up for a moment, but then brought her gaze back down to her book. She couldn't speak a word.

So Austin started his warm ups on his own. He tried not to watch Ally as she continued reading. He tried not to notice the way her hair covered her face and how she wouldn't pull it back. But he did. After awhile, he couldn't take it anymore.

"What if you just didn't go?" Austin said before he could stop himself. "Wait, that's not what I meant. I mean, I don't want you to go, but you should go, but I wish you didn't have to go, but it's your dream so you need to go, and—"

"Austin," Ally said calmly, although there were tears streaking her cheeks behind her curtain of hair. "I'm going. I can't let something like missing my friends stand in the way of this opportunity. And besides, it's only for a year. I'll be back next summer."

"But I'll miss you." Their eyes finally met and he wished he could tell her everything, but he didn't want her to think he was trying to guilt her into staying. She needed to follow her dreams.

"I'll miss you too. Trust me, I don't think a day will go by without me thinking of you, or Trish, or Dez." Her lip quivered and she held his gaze for a few more beats before looking back down, so he would know she meant what she said.

"I'm going to go rehearse with the band," Austin responded. He wasn't good with goodbyes.

* * *

"Okay, we'd like to take this time to play a special video that Austin, Trish, and I made for our best friend, Ally," Dez spoke, holding the microphone with two hands. "We're really going to miss you." He handed the microphone back to Austin and used his controller to bring the screen down. Austin grabbed his guitar.

Ally stood front and center in the crowd and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. A year ago, she had one friend that she really cared about. Her and Trish understood each other and she used to think how she was glad she didn't have a large group of friends that all thought differently. And now, in this moment, she watched little snippets of herself laughing with Dez, Austin, and Trish. She watched as Trish and Austin held up signs saying "We'll miss you." She watched as Dez searched the shelves beneath the counter for Ally's book, and as the camera turned around to Austin smiling and laughing.

And while the video played, Austin sang a new song Ally had never heard before. She was stunned that he had written something by himself, and that it was about her. He couldn't write a song for Cassidy, even though he said she was 'unlike any other girl he'd met before,' but Austin could write a song about Ally.

"_There's no way I can make it without you, do it without you, be here without you_." Austin was staring right into Ally's eyes and she felt as if she was going to cry all over again. She didn't want to leave.

* * *

The four friends walked into Sonic Boom after it had closed and up to the practice room for their last night together. Trish was still trying to deny the fact that Ally was leaving and Dez was still trying to make everything perfect, and he asked Ally if she wanted anything to eat or drink about nine times. Austin was still silent.

"I think you can make it without me," Ally said to Austin while Trish and Dez started arguing over what movie to watch. She smiled at him, trying to reassure him that this next year would be fine.

"No, I really can't." He stared into her eyes, and his darkened. How could she say something like that? How could she act like it would be fine?

"You wrote that song. You won't need me forever," she replied, although each word sounded sadder as she went. What if she came back and Austin really didn't need her anymore? What if he, Trish, and Dez continued being friends and then everything would feel different when she came back? What if they weren't still friends next year?

"Just because I wrote a song doesn't mean I don't need you, Ally." He spoke quietly and his voice quivered at the end. He took a slow breath and continued, "I'll always need you."

* * *

**You have a purpose in life, and it is to REVIEW MY STORY. **

**Again, there will be another chapter so hold your horses.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay yay here's part two! Sorry I split it up into two parts. And shout out to Hey Monday, who I don't own, for breaking my heart and not really existing anymore, but I used some lines from their song 6 Months in here so look it up and weep. **_  
_

**I do not own Austin & Ally.**

* * *

_I'll always need you._ The words echoed in Ally's head for the rest of night, and Austin could tell. As they watched the movie, Ally kept a worried look on her face and his heart sunk. He didn't want her to think that he was trying to guilt trip her into staying. He didn't want to be the reason she'd throw away this opportunity; he didn't want her to resent him later. And he didn't want to be the reason for her _what ifs_ in life.

Once the movie was over, Dez and Trish started to say their final goodbyes to Ally. Trish started crying. The trio gathered in a group hug while Austin hung back and leaned against the wall and waited to walk her home.

Dez and Trish (finally) let go, and Austin and Ally left the music store in silence. He watched her as she read every sign of every store. She was trying to remember how everything looked so when she came back next year, she'd know what had changed. She wished she could do the same with Austin.

They finally made their way out of the mall and onto the sidewalk; the streetlights illuminating their path. She watched his legs move in sync with hers. She hopped over cracks on the sidewalk, like she'd been doing since she was a young girl. She saw Austin smile at her eccentric tendencies. She loved that he loved those little things about her.

They turned a corner, and Ally could see the tiny beacon of her porch light in the distance. But she didn't want it to end.

"Why did you stop walking?" Austin asked, a few paces ahead. He turned around and went back to her, noticing how her eyes were wide and gazed into his. He reached his hand up, almost involuntarily, to swipe a strand of hair behind her ear. His thumb shakily brushed against her cheek, but he never took his eyes off of hers.

"I hope you don't think that I'm perfectly fine leaving. I'm hurting just as much as you are. But," she closed her eyes, "but it's only a year. And I thought maybe you guys could visit during spring break, at least." She opened her mouth to continue rambling, but Austin just kept smiling at her, and she was confused. She felt brand new like she had worked her way into someone else's life and she had to learn how to speak all over again.

"I meant what I said, you know," he spoke softly. Ally's eyes shifted down, and for a second he wished that his words never left his mouth.

"Austin," she said, begging for him not to continue. "I'm going, okay." She grabbed his hand, which was still peacefully cupping her face and pushed it away.

"I'm not trying to guilt you into staying, I swear. I _want_ you to go. I mean, this is more than just a chance. You've already gotten it. This is like, your moment." He desperately wanted her to believe him. "I know this sucks, so much, it really does," he rushed out, "but you're going to love it. And you'll come back, and I'll still be here, I really will be."

"But you'll never grow as an artist if you don't write your own songs," she yelled. She backed away from him, and his eyes widened. She hated everything right now. She was Ally Dawson; she wasn't supposed to get angry like she was right now. But she hated how she was leaving. She hated how much it wounded her to see Austin's heart break. She hated how she doubted him when he said nothing would change. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and tucked her head down to walk past him, but he caught her arm, swinging her back around.

"Ally, do you think that's all you mean to me?" His hand gently squeezed her elbow, and she would've burst into tears all over again if she had any left. "Of course I want you to always be my partner, but you're so much more than that. Why can't you see that?"

"Yeah, we're friends okay. We'll be friends forever. I know," she finished bitterly, and Austin's breath hitched in his throat. She shrugged his hand off of her arm again, although she didn't step away. She crossed her arms, and kicked an imaginary stone with her toes.

"Well," but he couldn't finish. Ally's gaze flew up to his, and his hand rubbed the back of his neck. Everyone thought he was this really confident guy, but not around Ally Dawson. Her doe eyes could stop his heart in a beat. "We are."

The rest of the walk home was silent. He walked her up to her door, and told her he would see her tomorrow morning before her flight. She went to bed that night full of regrets.

* * *

Austin held onto her for dear life, ignoring Lester's demands to let her get in line. He'd hugged her before, but this one was different. It wasn't that he was afraid he'd never see her again, because he knew he wouldn't let that happen. He was just going to miss her so much. He didn't know how to even explain how he was feeling; like he was hanging upside down for too long?

His head pounded and his heart felt like it was going to burst through his ears, but he didn't let go of Ally. Not until she looked up, brought his head down to her, and kissed him on the cheek. And then she gave her dad a hug and walked away.

* * *

It was now January, and Ally was back at her school after spending Christmas break in Georgia with her relatives. She had sent Austin, Trish, and Dez Christmas presents, and they sent ones back, and she missed them. She really did. She knew it would hurt, but now that she was living it… It was real.

Austin gave her a new guitar since she had picked up the skill at her new school. She still loved her piano, of course. Nothing could replace the sound of those keys, but strumming this guitar reminded her of Austin. So she played and played.

"_Months going strong now, and no goodbye__  
__Unconditional, unoriginal__  
__Always by my side__  
__Meant to be together__  
__Meant for no one but each other__  
__You love me, I love you harder so…"_

But she couldn't figure out the chorus. She had ideas, but she didn't _want_ to finish it. Not until she got back to Austin.

* * *

He held on for dear life, again, to the back of the airport chair. The plane had landed twenty minutes ago, but they were taking _forever_ to get the passengers off. He just wanted to see Ally.

And finally, he did.

She looked tired, her hair pulled up into a bun and large headphones slung around her neck. But once she found Austin, and their eyes locked, her entire being lit up. She smiled, her eyes brightened, her nose crinkled, everything. She ran to hug him and he was almost knocked over, but he loved it. He loved that she was here in his arms, and that this was really happening.

"I can't think of anybody else who I'd hate to miss as much as I hated missing you," Austin whispered, his hand at the back of her neck.

"That's perfect!" Ally let go of Austin and dropped her carry-on bag to the floor. She bent down and pulled out her classic song book. It looked as wrinkly as ever, and Austin smiled, knowing nothing had _really_ changed.

"What?"

"I've been writing this one song _forever_. But the chorus just never worked. I was waiting for you to finish it with me," she replied hurriedly, scribbling down lyrics in her book.

Austin pushed the book out of Ally's gaze so he could pull her closer to him. He cupped her face in his hands so his fingers met the nape of her neck and his thumbs grazed her porcelain cheeks. In one quick motion, their lips met. It was soft and sweet and Ally dropped her book to wrap her arms around his middle. They stood there, in the middle of the airport with hundreds of people watching.

A few people started clapping and the pair broke apart and cracked up. Austin ran his thumb along her bottom lip, remembering where his lips had just been moments ago. He had one thing he'd been repeating in his mind for months. One thing he wanted to tell her once she finally came back to him, back _home_.

"We're going to have so much fun falling in love."

* * *

**You have a purpose in life, and it is to REVIEW MY STORY. **

**Kisses. xx**


End file.
